True representation?

Sunday

Jun 30, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 30, 2013 at 1:36 PM

Cleveland County is a diverse county. But if you look at its elected officials, you might not be able to tell. Here's a look at the diversity of your current representatives and how that compares to the county overall.

Molly Phipps

Cleveland County is a diverse county. But if you look at its elected officials, you might not be able to tell. Here's a look at the diversity of your current representatives and how that compares to the county overall.

*Officials include: mayors, commissioners, city and town council members, state Senators, state House representatives, judges, the district attorney, the sheriff, members of the Board of Education, and others.*

*Five of these officials, the Cleveland County Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisors, are not elected, but recommended by the County Soil & Water Conservation Board and approved by the State Soil & Water Conservation Commission. Three officials were appointed to fill a term.*

Totals:

-Total number of representatives: 125

-County population as of 2010 Census: 98,078

Political parties:

Representatives

-Republicans: 28 (22%)

-Democrats: 71 (57%)

-Unaffiliated: 26 (21%)

Cleveland County

-Republican: 48%

-Democrat: 38%

-Unaffiliated: 14%

Ethnicity:

Representatives

-White officials: 113 (90%)

-Black officials: 10 (8%)

-Hispanic or Latino officials: 0

County

-White: 76.6%

-Black: 20.9%

-Hispanic or Latino origin: 3%

Gender:

Representatives

- Female officials : 32 (26%)

-Male officials: 93 (74%)

County

-Female: 51.8%

-Male: 48%

Age groups:

Representatives

-Officials over 65: 38 (30%)

-Ages 55-64: 35 (28%)

-Ages 45-54: 28 (22%)

-Ages 35-44: 11 (9%)

-Officials 35 and under: 5 (4%)

County

-Population 65 and older: 15.4%

-Ages 55-64: 13.4%

-Ages 45-54: 15%

-Ages 35-44: 13.4%

-Population 35 and younger: 43.2%

Towns of residence:

Where representatives live:

-Shelby: 48 (38%)

-Kings Mountain: 18 (14%)

-Lawndale and Grover: 15 each (12% each)

-Casar: 5 (4%)

-Fallston: 4 (3%)

-Mooresboro and Waco: 3 each (2% each)

-Lattimore and Polkville: 2 each (1.6%)

Where you live:

-Shelby: 20,323 (21%)

-Kings Mountain: 10,296 (10%)

-All other municipalities: less than 800

Sources: Cleveland County Board of Elections, United States Census Bureau

Want to run for office?

Filing for all Cleveland County offices – municipalities, school board and water district – begins at noon July 5 and ends at noon July 19. For more information, visit http://www.clevelandcounty.com/public/boe/boehome.htm or call 704-484-4858.

Reach Molly Phipps at 704-669-3339, at mphipps@shelbystar.com or on Twitter @MollyAPhipps.